SBIR Phase II: An RF Radiation Empowered Sensing Method for Low Cost Structural State Monitoring

这个小企业创新研究二期项目针对的是我们国家日益恶化的情况？S基础设施体系，特别是桥梁。迫切需要一种解决方案来监控这种系统的结构完整性，以便识别潜在的故障？比如明尼阿波利斯I-35W大桥坍塌？在它们发生之前。现有的结构状态检测解决方案昂贵、劳动密集型、不可扩展且不可靠。第一阶段展示了一种名为有源射频测试(ART)的创新、经济高效、非侵入性和可扩展的结构监测技术的可行性。研究人员开发了一种薄型、机械灵活、贴片状的无线传感器原型，可以很容易地连接到结构的分布式点上。ART传感器是无电池的，其能量通过网络内的射频能量辐射机制提供。在第一阶段成功的基础上，第二阶段将(1)优化架构并增强ART传感器的能力；(2)为传感器的大规模生产开发具有成本效益的流程；(3)开发分析工具，为ART传感器在结构上的安装位置生成地图；(4)开发基于传感器的检测/诊断模型；以及(5)在两座公路桥上对ART系统进行现场评估。该项目的更广泛影响/商业潜力是保护美国基础设施免受老化、结构故障和故障的影响。老化的基础设施构成了一个重大的社会挑战：最近的报告表明，美国的交通基础设施有601,027座桥梁，其中71,419座存在结构缺陷。所提议的艺术技术的独特之处？例如安装容易、成本低、可伸缩性、能源自给自足和耐用性？让它成为应对这一挑战的理想选择。ART贴片传感器的安装将是非侵入性的，安装工作量将最小，并且不需要钻孔。ART贴片传感器的机械灵活性将使其能够适应复杂的几何形状，包括承重板、节点板、接头、支撑电缆和桥梁上的桁架系统。最后，ART技术提供了一种多功能解决方案，可根据不同类型的结构(包括桥梁、管道、大坝、机身和海上平台)的结构完整性监测需求量身定做。仅美国71419座存在结构缺陷的桥梁，就代表着28亿美元的商业市场。解决其他结构的潜力，以及国际销售的潜力，将增加机会。

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase II project addresses the deteriorating situation with respect to our nation?s infrastructure system, particularly bridges. A solution is critically needed to monitor the structural integrity of such systems in order to identify potential failures ? such as the Minneapolis I-35W Bridge collapse ? before they occur. Existing solutions for structural state sensing are expensive, labor intensive, non-scalable, and unreliable. Phase I demonstrated the feasibility of an innovative, cost-effective, non-intrusive, and scalable structural monitoring technology known as Active RF Test (ART). The investigators developed a prototype of a thin, mechanically flexible, patch-like wireless sensor that can be easily attached to distributed points of a structure. ART sensors are batteryless, with their energy supplied through an in-network RF energy radiation mechanism. Based on the Phase I success, Phase II will (1) optimize the architecture and enhance the capabilities of the ART sensors; (2) develop cost effective processes for high-volume production of the sensors; (3) develop analytical tools that generate a map of installation locations for ART sensors on a structure; (4) develop detection/diagnostics models based on the sensors; and (5) conduct a field evaluation of the ART system on two highway bridges.The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is protecting the US infrastructure against aging, structural malfunction, and failures. Aging infrastructure poses a significant societal challenge: recent reports indicate that the US transportation infrastructure has 601,027 bridges, of which 71,419 are structurally deficient. Unique features of the proposed ART technology ? such as easy installation, low cost, scalability, energy self sufficiency, and durability ? make it an ideal response to this challenge. The attachment of ART patch sensors will be non-intrusive to a structure, the installation effort will be minimal, and no drilling will be required. The mechanical flexibility of the ART patch sensors will allow adaption to complex geometries, including bearing plates, gusset plates, joints, support cables, and truss systems on a bridge. Finally, ART technology features a multipurpose solution that can be tailored to structural integrity monitoring needs of different types of structures, including bridges, pipelines, dams, airframes, and offshore platforms. The 71, 419 structurally deficient US bridges alone represent a commercial market of $2.8 billion. The potential to address other structures, along with the potential for international sales, would enhance the opportunity.